Colleges & Campus News

Engineering Study Leads to I-75 Safety Improvements

A portion of Interstate 75 soon will become safer for driving in low-visibility conditions, thanks to the recommendations of a study led by Mohamed Abdel-Aty, a professor in the UCF Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering.

One year ago, a 11 people died and 20 were injured in a multi-car crash on a portion of I-75 near Gainesville that is notorious for low visibility due to fog and smoke.

In the near future, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will upgrade that stretch of highway with cameras, high-tech vehicle detectors and low-visibility sensors that will connect to a system that can instantly update overhead message signs and alert highway safety officials. The new safety measures are among the recommendations included in the UCF study led by Dr. Abdel-Aty, which examined the effectiveness of systems in place nationwide.